When a running vehicle is stationary, such as at a stop sign or traffic light, the vehicle operator will often place the vehicle transmission in neutral or engages the clutch and release the throttle pedal (accelerator). With the engine uncoupled from the drivetrain and the throttle pedal released, the engine of the vehicle operates at a predetermined base idle speed, typically measured in revolutions per minute and controlled by an engine idle speed governor. Idle speed governors are normally configured to maintain a base idle speed in order to allow the engine to run on its own without any external intervention and comply with regulatory fuel consumption and emissions standards. In this regard, some idle speed governors use control loop feedback controllers with feedforward input from auxiliary components to control the fuel provided to the engine in order to regulate engine speed.
To launch a vehicle with a manual transmission from a stationary position, the operator first; applies the service brake, releases the parking brake, engages the clutch and puts the transmission in gear. Second; the operator slowly releases the clutch and service brake to launch the vehicle. For heavy-duty vehicles, such as trucks, it is desirable to launch the vehicle from the stationary position without having to press the throttle pedal, i.e., to launch “unassisted.” During some conditions, such as when the truck is heavily loaded or stopped on an uphill incline, the idling engine does not provide enough torque to allow for a smooth unassisted launch. As a result, the vehicle may lurch or the engine may stall—unless the driver intervenes. Driver intervention is a wholly undesirable characteristic of having to launch a vehicle.